Stiles Points: OKC Thunder Close to Title, Must Finish the Job

It goes without saying, as the playoffs get deeper the games get better and more challenging. The Thunder's latest challenge? A closeout game on the road Thursday. Game 6 in Indiana will mark the Thunder's first chance in franchise history to capture a championship after 48 minutes of action.

Oklahoma City battled back from down 0-1 and 1-2 in this series, now leading 3-2 after the Thunder's impressive win in Game 5 Monday.

Alex Caruso is the only member of the Thunder who has felt the gravity of being a game away from a title. He had a simple message for his team postgame, "Gotta get to 4," he said mater of factly after being asked in the locker room what it means to be up 3-2 with this young squad.

"[Game 6 is] the hardest game of the year," Caruso added the Thunder have to "be prepared for their best."

Oklahoma City has been in this spot before, on the road in Denver are coming back in that series to capture a 3-2 series lead. The Nuggets, with an under the weather point guard, brought home a 119-107 win to force a Game 7. The Mile High Crowd was electric behind the home team and the desperation of a team playing with its season on the line is unmatched.

The Thunder have to be ready for the Pacers to play that way despite injury concerns to their star point guard, Tyrese Haliburton.

With a Game 5 win, the Thunder have guaranteed themselves two chances to win one game for a championship. This is an Oklahoma City squad that has yet to lose consecutive games this postseason with a potential Game 7 coming at home.

It is impossible to not smell the blood in the water, to not sense this season-long juggernaut circling the wounded Pacers and the pre-series favorites playing its best basketball at the perfect time.

However, the OKC Thunder can not let Indiana off the mat. This is a never-say-die squad that only needs a glimmer of hope to become self-sustaining on top of getting a natural boost from its hometown crowd.

Oklahoma City has said all the right things since the final buzzer sounded on Monday, including today at NBA Finals Media Day. Sticking true to the company line of 0-0, turning sights to the next game, refusing to give much credence to the fact they are on the cusp of a championship.

That is the smart thing to do for the Bricktown Ballers. In large part due to the fact you can't manufacture desperation. Not to the degree of a team whose season is on life support.

The Thunder have to artificially create that same level of urgency and closing in on a title should do just that for the Oklahoma City Crew.

While the Thunder have a safety net below their feet for this title tightrope, Oklahoma City has to take care of business in Game 6 to not leave it up to a one game sample size.

The Pacers are the best 3-point shooting team in the playoffs, which naturally leaves the door open for volatility. Regardless of Haliburton's status Indiana can get white-hot from beyond the arc to win them a one-off game of the two needed to capture a championship.

A year ago, the Pacers faced this same scenario against Isaiah Hartenstein's New York Knicks squad down 3-2 having to win a home Game 6 before going on the road to silence the Garden in Game 7.

A byproduct of a Game 7 is the do-or-die nature of it. The human element of sometimes it just is or isn't your night. Leaving the championship to a one game sample size is risky business for the Bricktown ballers. It puts the stakes even higher to close it out inside of Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Song of the Day: Dancing in the Dark by Bruce Springsteen